As Akeelah Anderson, the 11-year-old spelling prodigy at the center of Akeelah and the Bee, Keke Palmer has a studied air of concentration that keeps not just her character but the entire movie on track. Without Palmer’s no-nonsense demeanor, this would have been the sort of wholesome slice of family entertainment that’s hard to swallow. Palmer has a seriousness and a streak of common sense that keep any sappiness at bay, including that doled out by Akeelah’s crotchety mentor (Laurence Fishburne).
